


Soft Rain

by WhippedChocolate



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Canonical Child Abuse, College, Collegestuck, M/M, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-12
Updated: 2015-11-12
Packaged: 2018-05-01 06:04:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5194952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhippedChocolate/pseuds/WhippedChocolate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This chapter was meant to be the start for my other fic, The Boy Born to Sacrifice, but once I started on the second chapter I realized this initial chapter just didn't work for it.</p><p>However, I don't want to delete this in case people wanted to see it continued. So if you're interested in a next chapter, please take yourself to my other fic. And for others, well, I suppose if you're interested in a sort of prologue for it, you can look here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Soft Rain

Through the smeared, dotted window of the taxi cab was the college campus. It was a whole assortment of white trimmed and brick red buildings and every patch that wasn’t concrete or paint was covered in plush green and pale tree trunks that lost their bright green leaves in the winter. The place was choked full of freshmen and their parents who swarmed and walked together in varying intensity of colors like schools of sea fish, humidity sticking to their skin in a slimy sheen. Above them the sky was deep and dark blue, the sort that made it looked like the sky had been stretched too thin and the blackness of space was just behind it.

In front of them the fresh streets were smooth and black, yellow paint stripes newly vibrant. The excited chatter of the crowd came in through the dirty cab windows, a countless number of eyes wide and shining. 

The cab driver pulled up to the curb of Dave’s future dormitory. The dormitory was three stories tall and the outdoors type, having no roof in the common courtyard and a break in the center of the wall facing the street to let people peek at the doors and walkways. In the upper right corner was NORTH HALL in large black letters. Must have taken them a lifetime to crack that one out.

Next thing Dave knew he was being chaperoned by a tall skinny dude that had an acne problem to check in. Dorm key in hand, the humidity was already beginning to stick to him, leaving a filmy layer on his skin. Every breath was stuffed, like he wasn’t getting enough air in to fill his lungs up all the way.

Up the second floor, room 214, his guide talking the whole way up about the dormitory policies and curfew and who to contact in case of emergencies and blah blah blah. Room 214 was in a corner, and door was pseudo light brown wood with dark brown rings in it and had a small rectangular window he already knew he was going to cover up.

Key into the door. Turn, click.

Empty. No John Egbert to grace Dave with his presence yet. The carpet was a nice light brown and thin and the walls were eggshell white, and for all that he’d heard about cramped dorm rooms, this one was surprisingly spacious. There was enough space from the door to the beds for Dave to lie down and have room to spare, and the spot between both beds was about a foot shorter but still enough space for him to sprawl out in if he decided to. Courtesy of John’s father popping out a bit of extra cash so his son didn’t have to room up inside of a soup can. There were two desks, one directly to his right beside the door and the other was on the opposite end of the room in front of a window. A bathroom door sat on the back left side of the room, be fun to share that. A single solitary ceiling light was placed inconveniently in the center of the ceiling; they would have to get personal lamps or something.

The two beds looked pretty goddamn uncomfortable, they were dark blue plastic mattresses that had drawers built into the bottoms, the latter of which was pretty cool, no worries about shit rolling down there. There were two windows, one was across from the door and the other was to Dave’s right over a bed, a novelty of being placed in a corner. Dave murmured thanks to his tour guide and stepped inside, shutting the door using his foot.

The first thing he noticed was a pile of blue colored junk just in front of the desk to his right. Judging by the color choice and the Slimer memorabilia it was John’s stuff, and the sight of it sent Dave from neutral into feeling like he was already intruding. Licking his lips, Dave set his things against the wall, carefully walking in and taking note of the distance between the beds, the locks on the windows and how much freedom of movement he’d be able to have once John was here.

Bathroom was about as small as the room was big. Sink, toilet, shower, all fit snugly enough that even a single person would feel crowded. He licked his lips and started to walk around the room, attempting to dedicate its shape into his mind to wear it into familiarity.

About half a minute later Dave realized he had no clue what he was going to get up to until John came here. Could claim a side, but… if the douche hadn’t claimed a side of the room Dave wasn’t going to be a double douche and do it anyway. Dave looked around the room, frowning. Oh, shit, outlet.

Parking on the bed that was not by the window, Dave plugged his old phone into the wall and placed it on the frame to give it the opportunity to come back to life. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and peered at the room over the rim of his shades. This was going to be life for the next who knew how long.

John busted in through the front door and Dave very nearly jumped out of his skin. John dropped his bag beside the door, eyes trailing up and landing spot on him. “Dave!” John exclaimed and straightened up.

The two looked at each other. John was a lot taller than Dave would have ever given him credit for through a webcam, with lumberjack broad shoulders and a cut jaw that was somehow still a bit baby cheeked. Although he was watered down Asian American his skin was still dark and hair completely black. The blue eyes behind his glasses popped and were insanely vivid, and he was kind of unfairly handsome. Like, obscenely handsome, the level of hotness attained only by a few who could get by in life without saying a single intelligent thing yet just them existing in and of itself a courtesy to the rest of humanity. Also, Asian lumberjack. What the fuck? Dave was the near opposite, all coiled strength in thin rigid muscles and so white that he would have been devoured by freckles if he weren't so fond of his computer screen. Golden blond hair and, of course, his eyes. Some girls had called him cute but he was pretty sure he would be forever inferior to the hotness show going on at the doorway.

John’s face was stuck in surprised joy, mouth open to show off his award winning beaver teeth, and for the second time that day, Dave had no idea what to do. John’s mouth closed. “Wow,” John’s smile grew. “It’s really you!”

“Seriously me. Got yourself all stuck up in that doorway, instead of comin over here to give me a real tender bro embrace, the sort that guys don’t talk about afterwards but never acknowledge again,” Dave replied and John started laughing quietly. “Don’t actually do that, though.”

John chuckled. “Why not?”

“I don’t like people touching me.”

“Oh, yeah, that. Well, that’s too bad! You suggested a tender bro embrace and now that’s what’s going to happen,” John closed the door and Dave stood up, tense and ready to run. “Dude, don’t make this weird.”

“I’m not, you are,” Dave countered and John walked forward. “Oh, shit. You’re just doing this to-“ John hugged him and Dave went stiff as a board, hands rising and falling uncertainly and his voice going strained and a little high. “-raise your shitty prankster’s gambit.”

“It’s good to finally see you too, Dave,” John gave him a back breaking squeeze and set him down. John smelled like ozone and it made Dave a little sick.

“Jesus, you’ve got shoulders like the Appalachian Mountains,” Dave remarked.

“Thanks,” John touched his shoulders and shrugged. “You’re like, kind of skinny? No offense.”

“Whatever,” he shrugged. “I figured if you looked way bigger to me that I’d look shrimpy as shit to you or whatever.”

“Well you’re tall, I just didn’t think you’d be so,” John put his hands up close together.

“Just means I’m spry, is all.”

Another pause. John looked Dave up and down. “Oh! Did you meet Rose and Jade yet?” John folded his arms, hands flat against his sides, and grinned.

“Nah, dude, arrived just now and it turns out that my phone wasn’t plugged in like, at all last night. I got owned by own lack of double checking or whatever you wanna call it. Point is my phone died,” Dave hooked a thumb back to the outlet. “Kicked the bucket like right after I got on the airplane to fly my sweet ass to this beautiful, humidly hideous state.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell us your phone was going to kick the bucket?”

“Figured you’d end up worrying and wringing your hands like an expectant mother waiting for her long lost lover. How long have you been here anyway?”

“Two hours? I waited around for a while but you weren’t answering my texts, so I went outside to check the campus out.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah. What side of the room do you want?”

“Whichever.”

“Alright, um. I’ll take the one away from the window then.”

“Alright.”

“Or no wait,” he rubbed his chin. “Do you get cold easily? You look like you would, and you’re from Texas and stuff.” Dave shrugged. “I’ll take the one by the window then.”

“We can always move the beds around, play like, mattress jigsaw, get some mad puzzle building skills all up into this place to maximize the geographical room comfort levels,” Dave replied. John’s laughter was warm in Dave’s chest and for the first time since getting here, Dave’s shoulders slackened a little.

“You checked in, right?” John glanced back at Dave nodded. “Cool! That means we can have more time to like, hang out and stuff.”

“Are we going to be meeting Jade and Rose today?”

“Yeah! They’ve got rooms up on the third floor above us. They're not coming in until later tonight though. You excited to see them?"

“Kind of, but,” Dave hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “I dunno, kinda wanna give the whole meeting the online friends face to face for the first time again a second before ramming my head right into the next meeting.”

“Are you nervous about seeing them?”

“I mean, yeah, I guess,” Dave backed up to sit down on his bed, which just so happened to be the one he’d plugged his phone at, and John sat down beside him, close enough that their elbows brushed. Dave pulled his arms in a little. “It’s not just that, though. It’s more awkward than I anticipated it being.”

John nodded. “We got over that pretty fast though. I mean, I think so.”

Dave’s lips tensed. “Same. But I sort of want to start feeling comfortable in our own new space before I go tripping out some place else. Seeing them will be cool, finally get to hit the girls up for once.”

“Gross, Dave.”

“I didn’t mean like that,” Dave replied and John made a doubtful noise. “Man, I was almost comfortable, and then you had to go in and throw off my groove.”

“Well if you’re feeling strong and bold enough we do have two windows,” John pointed at either one. “We got hooked up on that front.”

“Yeah. God bless being stuck into a corner, I guess.”

“But like, seriously, are you nervous?”

“I was more nervous about meeting you than I was about anyone else,” Dave shrugged, twisting a ring around his finger. “Just because you were like, my first person to see, unless serendipitous shit happened and I got thrown at somebody else. Also whole best buddy status.”

Dave looked at him. Here was John, an actual breathing, living human being who cast warmth off of his body and smelled like nickels thanks to the airport.

Another bit of silence came, this one calmer than the last. Tension rose and receded in his legs, the realization that John was a touchable human being threatening to sink in. “You brought less stuff than I imagined,” John ventured. “I kinda thought you’d be a giant packrat.”

“Yeah. Uh, no. I mean. I could only bring two free suitcases and a carry on, so.” Dave shrugged and studied his feet. “I didn’t want to bring anything besides my clothes and... other valuable shit."

"Did you bring cups or anything like that?"

"Was planning on throwing myself at the local dollar store."

John nodded, eyes slipping off of Dave to scan the floor and their feet. "Did you want to go now?"

"Ah, nah. Not today anyway. Just kind of wanted to get focus on unpacking. You know, make this place all fine as hell. Gotta make my first ever almost solo crib a hot mess. You're just gonna be like an accessory to the hotness going on over here, sorry John."

John laughed. "Long as you keep your loser 'hot crib' mess on your half of the room I think I'll be able to handle it."

"We gonna use tape or anything to mark our territory?"

"You don't touch my shit without permission and I won't touch yours?" John asked, blue eyes focusing back on him. Dave nodded. "Okay. Um! Maybe let's just start unpacking then?"

With that they settled into it, Dave dragging his suitcases over to his bed and John his. Dave stood at the side of his bed. Things could either look similar to how his room had been set up: An organic, vein-like mess of wires all across the floor, computer across the foot of his bed and tabletops on the other side of his room, or he could actually put effort into making things neat. John was sort of moving boxes around and opening them up, not doing anything in particular with his shit. Not that Dave planned on copying him but some inspiration could be helpful.

In the end, Dave settled for opening both of his suitcases up and deciding where they would go once he stuck his hands on them. Not that he had a lot of shit to place; most of his suitcase was made up of clothes. He threw up a rolled up poster of Hella Jeff and Sweet Bro that he'd made and printed out himself. There was an amused huff behind him. Soon as Dave discovered where he’d stuck his bedding goods he slapped them on. White sheets, red comforter and fluffy as shit red pillow. Bed was, undoubtedly, the most important part of a bedroom. 

It was now turning red outside and John's side of the room was disgustingly neat. The guy was actually folding his clothing and setting them into a drawer, disgusting. (Dave was doing the same out of a sort of nervousness to make his side as similar as possible.) Only sign of rebellion was a poster for Assassin’s Creed and a god-awful Slimer poster he put up, and a ragged looking bunny rabbit toy. Dave took a seat on his side of the room and raised an eyebrow.

"John, you're supposed to use this opportunity to put a half naked chick up on your wall," Dave scolded and John laughed. "Honestly I'm kind of disappointed in you for not taking up this prime opportunity to express your manhood.”

"What about you? I'm not seeing anything but loser material over there," John gestured to the wall.

"Obviously for irony purposes, John. If you know that I'm masturbating-"

"Ew."

"-to some fine material that you don't see it, that makes it-" there was a knock at the door.

"Thank god," John exhaled and hopped over, leaving Dave to thread his fingers and lean on his knees.

John pulled the door open and there was an unearthly squeal, one that may have come from John's barrel chest or the two girls that happened to be on the other side. A pair of dark slender arms were thrown around John's shoulder and Dave automatically stood up.

"John!" Jade exclaimed and it was so weird to hear her voice without the hissing, snowy static distortion. Laughter burst out from John and he lifted her up, swinging her a little, and when he set her down she, to the boys' mutual surprise, did the very same to him.

Didn't take a lot of time for her vision to zero in on Dave. He, for some reason, was absolutely frozen, surprised by how brightly colored the green of her eyes were. Like John's they were way too bright, as if somebody had poured a bit of neon into them before she'd been born. She was a whole head shorter than Dave and a touch on the stocky side, skin so dark light reflected white off of her, and she looked like the sort of girl who could wrestle with boys and win. Hair was absurdly long and gorgeously chaotic in a winding, lightly curly mess all the way down to her hips.

Jade all but flew into him and any sense of cool bravado he'd had about himself was rattled around and knocked to the goddamn floor the second she picked him up, and he wasn't sure if he was a little dehumanized or impressed by how easily she'd picked him up. "You sound weird in person," was the first thing out of his mouth and he inwardly grimaced.

"I'm so happy to see you!" She exclaimed, swinging him around and Dave went absolutely rigid, jaw tightening until she put his feet firmly back to earth. "Wow! The real deal, hella cool Strider and John Egbert right here in front of me!"

"Okay," John pointed at them and there was the Caucasian lightly blond settled comfortably under John's arm, standing there like she'd been used to fitting against John's side for an eternity. She was two inches shorter than Dave and not chubby or thin. She had a rigid confidence in the line of her shoulders, and she had the sharpest pair of eyes heavy eye shadow eyes. The lilac of her iris was eerie and bright, and her hair was a deep, rich golden blond. There was, of course, the black lipstick she wore to make sure everyone knew she had a comfortable spot in Hell. "I object to Dave being called cool when he is so clearly not," John continued and Jade stuck her tongue out and giggled. She squeezed Dave one more uncomfortable time and all but dragged him to the door as John shut it and led himself and Rose into the room.

They stood in the center of it, all four of them just sort of looking at each other. Any sense of grounding Dave had gotten in John's presence had been ripped away like somebody trying to yank a table cloth away and sending all of the expensive glass wear crashing.

Dave glanced between all of their faces. "We're really all here aren't we?"

Rose smiled. "It would seem so," she held a hand out and he accepted it, leaning into the center of the circle to give her a one armed hug.

John scratched the tip of his nose. "I thought you guys weren't going to be getting here until later?"

"Plane landed early," Rose replied and Jade beamed. "We caught a bus together and thought we would grace you with our unearthly presence."

Dave snorted. "Glad to see you sound like as much of a stand-off twat in the flesh as you do in real life."

"I live to impress."

John glanced to the door. "Have you guys already unpacked?"

"Somewhat," Rose gave a single shoulder shrug and Jade bounced a little, unable to get the grin off her face. "We put our things in our room and have made the mutual decision to slay that kraken at a later date. After walking across a portion of campus with our things."

"You walked all the way across campus? I would've come to help."

"We got distracted," Rose explained gently and leaned her head a degree towards Jade. "And we had fun, anyway. Unfortunately I have to say that my feet are incredibly sore and after having been on a plane all day, I am not enthused for any campus touring you may have had in mind."

Jade grinned. "We got off of the bus stop a stop early so we could see the campus on our walk here."

"Adventure," Rose added tiredly.

John crossed his arms and laughed. "You'll have to tell us if you saw anything cool. But even if you're tired, do you think you're up for hanging up? We should hang out in here instead of you going up to your rooms. I mean you just got here, it'd be kind of a total bummer if you just left before we really got to know each in person," John's smile grew warmer. "It'll be kind of like getting to know each other all over again."

Rose looked at Jade and Jade tilted her head, shrugging. After a thoughtful silence, Rose nodded. "Why not? No one needs to be awake for student orientations, anyway."

"That's the spirit," John actually clenched his fist and Dave wanted to laugh.

"Let's get pizza," Dave suggested and elbowed John. "C’mon, whip the Yellowpages out for some PizzaHut."

John recoiled and shielded his side, laughing and pulling his phone out of his pocket. "I like Papa John's."

"Of course you do, you sick fuck."

John rolled his eyes and Rose raised an eyebrow, suggesting, "why not local pizza?"

"You gotta save that kind adventuring for later, you gluten free organic pizza hippie," Dave crossed his arms and Rose narrowed her eyes at him in a sharp smile. "I swear to you, Rose, after today we'll embark upon the city to find some local shit, but tonight you gotta stick to the basics."

"I dare to ask why, but fine. I'll be holding you to your word."

"I want Papa John's," John cut in again and Dave shook his head.

"Sorry, John, but literally nothing can make up for stuffed crust pizza, and if you think otherwise I'm pretty sure that you're wrong."

"Let's take it to a vote."

Jade raised her hand. "I've always wanted to try stuffed crust pizza!"

"She wants to have stuffed crust pizza, John," Dave put his hand just over Jade’s shoulder. "This poor hot mama has never had stuffed crust pizza and you're going to deny her the pleasure of trying it for the first time in her underwhelming, boring ass life."

Jade giggled and John's shoulders slumped in defeat and he sighed at his phone. "We should get hot wings," Dave added.

"Can we have soda too?" Jade clapped her hands together.

"Soda, sure, but they've only got Pepsi. I can't have hot wings, they might have peanuts on them," John glanced up.

"Ah, what?" Dave frowned. "Breadsticks."

"Peanuts."

"What kind of breadsticks has peanuts on them?"

"They don't make them with peanuts, there's just the possibility that they're contaminated with them," John set a very effeminate hand to his chest. "And I, for one, do not want to start my very adult academic career at the hospital, Mister Dave Strider."

They came to the communal decision of getting everything on it, after it had been confirmed that none of the pizza toppings would kill John. John and Dave (mostly John) grabbed all of the pillows and blankets they had and dropped them on the floor, and twenty minutes later they were all parked on the floor surrounding a pizza box and drinking out of clear plastic cups as sunset finished and it became pitch black outside. Admittedly, this sort of level of socializing was one Dave wasn't usually party to. Normally it was either a sea of strangers who didn't know shit about him and he was shielded by comfortable anonymity, or it was one on one or his computer screen.

"I want to buy a rain gutter and put strawberries in it," Jade smiled brightly and around a hunk of crust in her mouth. She'd started from the crust end and was chewing with her mouth open and slurping her drink, and everyone else was tolerating it with strained smiles. It put Dave off of his own slice a bit. "I was thinking of placing them by or on the window, and maybe putting some herbs to cook with on the window sill. Then Rose and I wouldn't have to buy stuff to-"

The lights went out. As had the sunlight, apparently. "Oh, dang," John started. "I didn't realize it was already night time."

"Time flies when you're having fun with your homies," Rose replied.

"Oh no," Jade giggled. "Just give it a few minutes, your eyes will adjust."

There was a split second of blinding light and everyone collectively squinted. Rose set her iPhone down to her side, aiming its flashlight away from the group. "Having a black out on our first night here does not bode well," Rose noted dryly.

"Is it an evil omen?" Jade asked deviously.

"One might just say somebody should get the salt."

Dave snorted and Jade slurped loudly. "We don't have any here, you weeaboo trash."

"That's rich coming from someone who wore anime shades for at least what was it, ten years?"

"Those pointy anime shades were the bomb, and I am wholly grateful my best man John saw fit to grant me some of Ben Stiller's sweet eye wear to succeed them."

"Can you even see in them right now?"

"I'm using my third eye, real bomb ass ninja training going on over here."

"Okay," John interrupted. "What were you saying about your gardening, Jade?"

"Oh!" Her eyebrows shot up, the chewed and deceased remains of her pizza visible in her opened mouth, and she swallowed. Hard to believe pizza still tasted so good when it looked like a peeled off sweaty skin flap. "Rain gutters and herbs. I'm kind of thinking about studying horticulture here! But- I don't know, I'm really interested in the other sciences too, I can't really make up my mind about it."

Dave picked a bit of burnt cheese off his crust and nibbled it off of his thumb, asking, "you decide what you're going to study, John? I figure Rose is going to dive ass deep into an English degree and start spitting Edgar Allen Poe at us at any given second."

Rose gave a single noise of amusement and John cocked his head. "Not sure," John admitted. "I've always kind of liked science too, and I could make good money, but then like, college would be forever. My dad suggested piano, but I don't know that I like it enough for that either," he glanced up at the group as if to make sure they were interested. "I thought maybe standup comedy could be cool too, but... I don't know, you don't really need a college degree for that? And I still get kind of sick from stage fright sometimes."

"Sign up for a local mic night," Rose suggested gently and John tilted his head again, nodding at his pizza. Jade smacked her lips and Rose gave Dave a brief look in silent distress. "Even the most talented Broadway actors vomit before stage performances, sometimes," she continued and Dave was real, real thankful that John was eating as quiet as a mouse. John raised his eyebrows at her and nibbled on his bottom lip with his big buck teeth. "You could find out if you have any sort of a knack for it, and if you do, you could get a completely useless degree while pursuing your real interests."

"Useless degree is my kinda shit," Dave boasted. "I was thinking of getting an art degree. Think I saw the building for it on my way over, place was totally run down. It's like the university is saying sup, this is the kind of meaningless and poor fuckin life you'll live if you get a completely asinine degree. They're prepping you up for a life of dodging street cars and snatching soda cans off the street for a couple of extra bucks at the end of the day."

"Being a homeless vagrant does suit you."

"If some chump can stick a urinal in a museum and call it art I could do anything I wanted and nobody could tell me jackshit about being wrong," Dave added and John poked him right in the ribs. Dave twisted away, shielding his side. Jade was chewing loudly. "What?"

"What about studying martial arts or something? I bet you'd be really good at that."

"I don't actually know any type of style, Bro and I just beat the shit out of each other," Dave replied and John snorted, rolling his eyes. Jade slurped again and Dave got a short lived impulse to knock the pizza box over. "I don't think there's a degree for flailing a sword around and giving concussions."

"Right," John nodded doubtfully, laughter on the edge of his voice.

"It doesn't really matter anyway. We've got like what, a year or two before our class choices actually matter?" He shrugged, setting his pizza down on a piece of paper. "Let's save our next pointless degree yabbering for another date."

"Yeah, alright," John shifted a little and glanced between Jade and Rose. "Are you two going to be able to make it to your dorm room alright? I could walk you if you wanted."

"It's just a floor up," Jade smiled. 

"I think we'll be alright," Rose promised and picked up her cellphone, pushing the home button. "But my phone isn't going to last much longer after endeavoring an all day plane flight and being used as a flashlight."

"I was so excited to unpack," Jade sighed and got her feet under her, crouched. "Are you guys going to eat all of the pizza?"

Dave pulled a second slice off and dropped it on top of the first half eaten one. "No," he replied and Jade giggled. John shrugged, grabbing another slice and closing the lid to offer her the remaining half of the pizza.

"You guys are so sweet! Thank you," Jade crouch-walked over and kissed John on the cheek, earning a surprised laugh. She tried going for Dave next and he leaned clear out of the way. "Aw, come on, Dave."

"I'm allergic to saliva," he lied and she pouted at him. "I just don't like people in my space, one hug was my Strider gift of the year and now it’s all up.”

“What? That’s totally lame. You’re lame, Dave,” she scrunched her nose up playfully and stuck her tongue out at him. “Not even one?”

“Nope.”

“Please?”

“No means no, Jade.”

Jade gave an exaggerated sigh. They all stood up together, edging around the pillows and cups to go to the door. Rose and John hugged and Rose gave Dave a nod, and he nodded back, thankful. "Text me to lemme know you guys got back alright," John waved goodbye and both girls nodded, and the outside door chatter was surprisingly loud. John pulled his own phone out for light and they girls stepped out.

John closed it and all the outdoor noise was cut back out. John exhaled, his hand still on the door knob. They paused there for a moment, trying to figure out how to fit inside of each other's space in the silence. Dave studied John's collar and fear crept into him at how real he was. Right in front of him and so much bigger of a person than he could've ever imagined.

"This is weird," Dave stated aloud and although John laughed, Dave regretted speaking up. "Or am I just going insane? Because I feel like this is quasi weird."

"I didn't realize you were such a prickler about PDA. Are you really that against it?”

“A little bit.”

John let go of the door knob. "If I'd realized I wouldn't have tried to hug you, I guess."

"You still would've done it," Dave disagreed and John chuckled a little. "Maybe we should stop talking about how weird this is and just get on with our new college dorm mate lives."

"But it is weird. Like. I dunno, everyone is kind of exactly how I imagined but kind of not at all in some ways. I kind of expected Jade to be really energetic and sweet and strong too, but she's kind of..." he closed an eye, nose scrunching up. "I don't really want to say selfish because she's actually really sweet, and it’s not like she’s actually acting any differently."

"Unaware?"

"Something like that. And it's stupid of me to be wondering about it but it's sort of awful, because now I'm wondering if I'll even like everybody," John rubbed the back of his neck and his mouth opened and closed, regret pinching between his eyebrows. "Not like- ugh. It’s just so weird! Because I’ve known you guys for so long but somehow you’re completely different in real life, and it’s just- weird."

"I get it," Dave swore, keeping his tone calm so his Egbert didn't wet his pants.

"There are just parts of you guys that I didn't know about and I don't know if I like it or not," his shoulders sank. "Which is stupid since it's not like you're actually different, I just didn't know. You're still who I know. You know?"

"I know."

"Like, am I really horrible to you right now?" John put a hand to his forehead. "What if we end up not getting along at all?"

"We'll just have to fight for dominance and kick somebody outta the dorm room," Dave answered and John's wrinkles smoothed out into a smile. John shook his head and looked at his feet, and Dave edged back over to their pillow circle, grabbing his pizza. "Was I the only one grossed out by Jade eating?"

"No, I was too, definitely."

"Alright good. I dunno how I'll be able to eat around her, I lost my appetite. And this is stuffed crust, John."

"I'll tell her or something," John waved a hand and crouched down by Dave, collecting a couple of pillows. "But, really, what happens if we don't like each other?"

Dave shrugged. "Nothing. Cause it's not going to happen, you've been my best bro for years now and getting wet feet over actually being in each other's physical presences isn't going to change shit about that. Plus I think we would've already known if we were going to go Game of Thrones on each other and I'm pretty sure I haven't got any interest in brutally murdering you in some weird ass creative way that makes people all across America gasp and jump in sheer horrific surprise."

Laughing, John shook his head and grabbed another two pillows. In unison they stood up and John tossed the pillows back evenly to each bed. "You’re weird."

"You’re weird."

“Whatever,” John tipped his head back in a small eye roll. "It'll be really cool to hang out with each other without a computer screen."

"Yeah, man," Dave picked his blanket up and threw it back on his bed. "Don't worry about it, aight? Everything'll be alright. We've got more important things to think about. Like, if we should unpack in the illumination of your cell phone or do it tomorrow."

"You can do it now, I'm not," John scooped his blanket up and plopped down on his bed. "You don't snore, do you?"

"I don't think so."

"Okay," John toed his shoes off. "Hey, would it be okay if we took our shoes off in our room?"

"I'm alright with that."

"Good," John ran a hand through his hair and nodded again. If he did it again it was liable to fall off. "Do you want me to keep my phone on?" His phone beeped. "Oh, Jade and Rose made it back safe."

"No, I'm good."

The light turned off and they were flooded by darkness again. John sighed and there was a creaking as his darkened shape shifted to lie down. Dave backed up to where he recalled the bed to be and sat down, studying John's lumpy body and blanket silhouette in the dark. The quiet was a little tense and sudden but Dave decided to go with it. After a few seconds, Dave pushed his shoes off and rolled onto his side, altogether way too tired to get into his pajamas, officially as of a second ago. He watched John for another second and looked up at the bands of white light cutting across the ceiling.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I've written in a long, loooong time. The story has been kind of picking at me for a long time and here it is now. Hopefully it'll turn out as good as I'd like to... thank you for reading.


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